MINUTES

Beach Erosion Committee Meeting – November 3, 1999

1. Attendees:

Members:

Bo Ellis

Chris Schuberth

Bill Farmer

Guests:

Mallory Pearce

2. The following decisions/actions were established by the committee:

A. Sand As A Resource is one of the SEG Studies identified in Appendix B of the SEG Guidelines, with the Beach Erosion Committee having primary responsibility for related committee effort. It was determined that the concept of having the overall Savannah Harbor Expansion Project become the Savannah Harbor Expansion And Coastal Georgia Island Restoration Project (or some similar name) be pursued. The focus would be to have significant portions of the approximate 18 million cubic yards of materials to be dredged from the Ocean Channel during the deepening project, to be placed on or near Tybee Island as a Sand Feeder Source to restore the coastal islands which may have experienced erosion over the years caused at least in part from the presence of the harbor channel. It was determined a possible language change in the authorizing legislation might be possible, and that the positive environmental effects and possible savings from needing fewer future Tybee Beach Renourishments might increase the Benefit-Cost Ratio for the basic project, and have other positive effects. Some scientific study would be necessary to support such a change, with some Benefit-Cost analysis, and the Beach Erosion Committee would pursue these issues.

B. Peer Participation in the Beach Erosion Study has not yet been specified by the GPA. The Study itself is underway, after completion of the process of incorporating the Corps of Engineers’ technical comments into the Study Task Statement. The language for peer participation, and the contractual arrangements, are being developed by the GPA.

C. The Studies classified as the "Book B Studies" have been identified and documented by the GPA in a memorandum dated November 2, 1999, and copies were distributed to the BEC members. These studies are additional studies that would follow the Beach Erosion Study and support the long-term management of the Savannah Harbor Inlet. The 11-2-99 indicates one such study would be to establish an Inlet Management Plan. This Plan should include the extent to which the inlet causes beach erosion and recommendations to mitigate the erosive impact of the inlet, including, but not limited to, recommendations regarding inlet sediment bypassing; modifications to channel dredging, jetty design, and disposal of spoil material; establishment of feeder beaches; and beach restoration and beach renourishment. The Plan should also include cost estimates necessary to take corrective measures and recommendations regarding cost sharing among the beneficiaries of the inlet.

D. At present the criteria used for evaluating dredged material for its suitability for placement on shorelines for beach renourishment includes a coarse/fine ratio of 75/25, meaning that at least 75% of the dredged material must be of coarse grain sand, and less than 25% of the dredged material can be fine grained material. Other requirements also exist regarding chemical purity, etc. The Beach Erosion Committee agreed to evaluate this criteria, to include the perspective that placement of dredged material for beneficial use would include three depositing locations: